5.

0 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Table 1: The observations of experiments test

No Test Observations

Methane Ethene Ethyne

1) SET 1A Produce small Solution remains Solution remains
bubbles and solution colourless. colourless.
Tubes is left in darkness
remains colourless.
2) SET 1B Produce small Solution remains Solution turns
bubbles and solution colourless. chalky.
Tubes is left in a bright
remains colourless.
light
3) SET 1A & 1B No changes No changes No changes

Blowing across the mouth

of each of the test tubes

4) SET 2A The purple colour Purple colour of Purple colour of

potassium potassium potassium
2 ml of 0.3% potassium
permanganate permanganate permanganate
permanganate solution
solution remains solution changed into solution changed
unchanged. dark purple. into dark purple.
5) SET 2B The purple colour of The purple colour of The purple colour
alkaline potassium alkaline potassium of alkaline
1 ml alkaline potassium
permanganate permanganate potassium
permanganate solution
solution remains solution changed into permanganate
unchanged. dark purple. Its solution changed
indicate the presence into dark brown.
of MnO2 Its indicate the
presence of MnO2
6) SET 2C The solution remains Brown colour of Brown colour of
brown colour. solution changed into solution changed
2 ml acidified potassium
dark brownish. into light
permanganate solution
brownish.
6.0 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSIONS

The purpose of experiment Synthesis and Characterization of Alkane, Alkene and

Alkyne were to synthesis and characterize the prepared methane, ethane and ethyne. Based
on the experiment, the theory involved is classes of Hydrocarbon and its chemical properties.

Hydrocarbons are compounds which contain only carbon and hydrogen. It can be
classified into several types depending on their structure. Aliphatic hydrocarbons are divided
into three classes which are alkanes have only single bonds and saturated. Meanwhile
alkenes and alkynes have carbon-carbon double or triple bonds and are said to be unsaturated.
The three classes sometimes react differently toward the same reagent, in which case it may
be used to distinguish between them in this experiment.

Theoretically, saturated hydrocarbon is hydrocarbons in which carbon atoms are

bonded with a single covalent bond only are called saturated. Examples of saturated
hydrocarbons are methane, ethane, and propane. The general formula for alkane or saturated
hydrocarbon is CnH2n+2. Meanwhile, unsaturated hydrocarbons are a hydrocarbon in which
two carbon atoms are bonded with a double covalent bond or triple covalent bond is called
unsaturated hydrocarbon. There are two types of unsaturated hydrocarbons which are alkenes
and alkynes. Alkene is an unsaturated hydrocarbon in which two carbon atoms are bonded
with a double covalent bond is called alkene. Examples of alkene are ethene, propene and
butene. The general formula is CnH2n. Next alkyne is an unsaturated hydrocarbon in which
two carbon atoms are bonded with a triple covalent bond is called alkyne. Examples of
alkyne are ethyne, propyne and butyne. The general formula is CnH2n-2.

Basically the experiment is started with part A which is preparation of methane by

reduction of chloroform. In daily life, methane are occurs from sources such as fossil fuels
production, biomass burning, livestock farming, landfills and waste and rice agriculture.
However based on preparation of methane by reduction of chloroform produced balanced
equation of CHCl3 + 3H2 CH4 + 3HCl. Based on the method, possible error could
occurred during the gas is collected as the gas might escaped during the water in the test tube
is displaced. Next, preparation of ethene involved with Rocksil wool soaked up with ethanol
and aluminium oxide is heated with gentle flame. However, there is error in preparation of
placing the aluminium oxides in the tube as not exactly 1 g of aluminium oxide is heated.
After that, it is the preparation of ethyne gas by using calcium dicarbide. The form of calcium
dicarbide should be in solid form however; mostly the sample is in powder form that could
affect preparation of ethyne gas. Basically the method of collection of gas depends on
if the gas more or less dense than air and if the gas is soluble in water. Gas can be collected
by using gas syringe in upward delivery or downward delivery. Other than that, if gas is not
soluble in water, the gas can be collected by using over water method which is used in this
experiment.

The characterization test was divided into 5 parts which are set 1A that involved the
tube to leave in the dark; set 1B was put in the presence of light, set 1A and 1B which
involved the bromine in carbon tetrachloride and it air was blow at the test tube. Then the set
2A was set up to test with potassium permanganate solution, set 2B with alkaline potassium
permanganate and set 2C with acidified potassium permanganate solution.

Based on result of set 1 A in table 1, when methane is tested with bromine in carbon
tetrachloride and is placed in dark place, there is no reaction occur since methane need the
light to trigger the reaction. The vice versa result obtained for methane in set 1 B as it was
exposed to sunlight, there was small bubbles produced. However, based on theory when
methane was exposed to light, the brownish colour of bromine changes to colourless as
substitution reaction took place inside the test tube which is shown by equation R-H + Br2 --
light--> R-Br + HBr . The reason behind of this error probably due to the bromine in carbon
tetrachloride solution is originally colourless due to error in the preparation of solution.
Therefore, the colour of solution did not originally orange before exposed to light. Besides,
the presence of hydrogen bromide should be proven when the solution in the test tube turns
cloudy after blowing across the mouth of all the test tubes. However, all the test tube shows
no change occurred to the solution.

Theoretically, the reaction is easily detected by loss of the bromine colour and by
evolution of hydrogen bromide. On the other hand, bromine adds rapidly at room temperature
to alkenes in a reaction which does not require light. Since the product is colourless, the
bromine is rapidly decolorized when added to an alkene

However based on the result of set 1 A for ethene and ethyne showed similar result
when they were place in the dark place but different result for ethyne in set 1B when it was
exposed to the light. For ethene, the bromine should fill the carbon-carbon double bond of
ethene and produce dibromoethane and for ethyne, bromine will fill the carbon-carbon double
bond of ethene and produce tetrabromoethane. However, both ethene and ethyne both showed
no reaction either in the dark or exposed to the light except for ethyne in set 1B that change
colourless solution into chalky.

In test 2A, the results showed that when react with 2 ml of 0.3% potassium
permanganate solution, methane showed no reaction as the purpose of this test was used to
identify the unsaturation of the chemical bond. Theoretically, alkanes are relatively inert to
chemical oxidizing agents such as neutral or alkaline permanganate where alkenes are readily
oxidized at room temperature. The change in colour for test 2A can be used as a test for a
double bond, provided the molecule contains no easily oxidise group. Since methane is a
saturated, purple colour of solution remains unchanged. Meanwhile, both ethene and ethyne
purple coloured potassium permanganate solution turns into dark purple solution. It is
because MnO2 formed as the appearance of the brown precipitate indicates a positive test for
unsaturation.

For test 2B, methane showed unchanged reaction to 1 ml alkaline potassium

permanganate as it is saturated hydrocarbon. Meanwhile ethene turns into dark purple and
ethyne gas turns purple into dark brown solution. Theoretically appearance of brown
precipitate indicates the presence of MnO2.

For test 2C, methane remains brown colour solution when tested with 2ml acidified
potassium permanganate solution. Ethene changed brown solution into dark brownish
solution while ethyne changed brown solution into light brown solution.

Through the results obtained, it can conclude that the reaction with bromine, each of
hydrocarbon will reacted with a bromine solution. But then, bromine only reacts with ethene
and ethyne by addition across the bond. Disappearance of the orange bromine colour
indicates that it has reacted with a double or triple bond of a hydrocarbon. Bromine will only
react with carbon single bonds in ethane by replacing a H with Br by substitution, however,
the reaction only reacted when the presence of light to act as a catalyst.

Meanwhile for each hydrocarbon which reacted with potassium permanganate

solution is called as Baeyer Test. This test only reacted on ethene and ethyne because the
bonds are oxidized to form alcohols or glycerol. Alkanes are stable hence do not react with
potassium permanganate. However alkenes are readily oxidised by alkaline potassium
permanganate to glycols while alkaline potassium permanganate itself reduced to MnO2.
The reaction of hydroxylation occurs was shown by rapid disappearance of purple potassium
permanganate solution and alkaline potassium permanganate that turns into dark brown
precipitate because the presence of MnO2 which the pink colour of alkaline potassium
permanganate is discharge.

For the test with acidified potassium permanganate solution, methane does not react
with the solution and the other both ethene and ethyne did change to dark brownish and light
brownish. It is because acidic MnO4- is oxidized ethyne further. It should be decolourise but
then it does not reacted completely.